Program recommendation method and system utilizing a viewing history of commercials

Abstract

A program commercial based recommendation system employing a program commercial detection module, a facial estimation module, and a program recommendation module for implementing method for developing a viewing history of a viewer is disclosed. The program commercial detection module detects commercials within a transmission signal. In response to a detection of a program commercial, the facial estimation module generates a facial estimation of a viewer to thereby determine if the viewer is watching or not watching the program commercial. In response to a generation of the facial estimation, the program recommendation module stores the program commercial within a viewing history database. The stored commercial either has a positive rating when the facial estimation indicates the viewer is watching the program commercial or a negative rating when the facial estimation indicates the viewer is not watching the program commercial.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method for providing a program commercial based recommendation of a program, said method comprising: 
 detecting a program commercial within a transmission signal;    generating a facial estimation of the viewer of the transmission signal; and    storing the program commercial having a positive rating or a negative rating within a viewing history database in response to a generation of the facial estimation.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 updating a profile of the viewer within a viewer profile database in response to a storage of the program commercial within the viewing history database.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 generating a recommendation of the program from the profile of the viewer.    
     
     
         4 . A computer system for providing a program commercial based recommendation of a program, said computer system comprising: 
 a program commercial detection module operable to detect a program commercial within a transmission signal;    a facial estimation module operable to generate a facial estimation of the viewer of the transmission signal; and    a program recommendation module operable to store the program commercial having a positive rating or a negative rating within a viewing history database in response to a generation of the facial estimation.    
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said program recommendation module is further operable to update a profile of the viewer within a viewer profile database in response to a storage of the program commercial within the viewing history database.    
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said program recommendation module is further operable to generate a recommendation of a program from the profile of the viewer.    
     
     
         7 . A computer program product in a computer readable medium for providing a program commercial based recommendation of a program, said computer program product comprising: 
 computer readable code for detecting a program commercial within a transmission signal;    computer readable code for generating a facial estimation of the viewer of the transmission signal; and    computer readable code for storing the program commercial having a positive rating or a negative rating within a viewing history database in response to a generation of the facial estimation.    
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 computer readable code for updating a profile of the viewer within a viewer profile database in response to a storage of the program commercial within the viewing history database.    
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 computer readable code for generating a recommendation of a program from the profile of the viewer.    
     
     
         10 . A computer system for providing a program commercial based recommendation of a program, said computer system comprising: 
 means for detecting a program commercial within a transmission signal,    means for generating a facial estimation of the viewer of the transmission signal; and    means for storing the program commercial having a positive rating or a negative rating within a viewing history database in response to a generation of the facial estimation.    
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 means for updating a profile of the viewer within a viewer profile database in response to a storage of the program commercial within the viewing history database.    
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 means for generating a recommendation of a program from the profile of the viewer.